The multitalented lord of legalities, John “J” Rose, checked back in with Briana on the Hip Hop United platform to highlight his various ventures and update fans on his progress. To recap, J. Rose is a renowned business, entertainment, and sports attorney by profession while simultaneously serving as a label executive, manager in the entertainment industry, nonprofit owner/director, and master mentor. He is unwavering in his pursuit of shifting the cultural paradigm, using his love of law as a vehicle for change. His process is highly motivated by his foundational childhood years in Jamaica, Queens (NY) and he continues to build on that foundation by positively impacting as many individuals and communities as humanly possible.
Humble Beginnings
Life in Jamaica, NY molded and prepared J. Rose for the multiple projects that he constantly juggles. Observing his mother work three jobs, seven days per week, is the most substantial motivating factor for him to succeed in his career. Undoubtedly, his primary goal became making his mother proud; therefore, he adopted her work ethic and built on the foundation that she set. He paid this forward by serving as an inspiration for the upcoming generation working to overcome the struggle, demonstrating first-hand that there are options to pursue various avenues within entertainment, besides being an elite athlete, mainstream recording artist, etc. This guidance fills a significant void in underserved neighborhoods regarding not having enough, if any, professionals for children to emulate. This is crucial for opening youths’ eyes to new possibilities and educating them on different opportunities that they wouldn’t have otherwise known to be available. Throughout grade school, Rose was talkative in class and literally had a clear vision, boldly communicating his plans of entering the legal field when asked about his career aspirations. Regrettably, he did not know what this profession actually entailed or looked like because, just as other children in his neighborhood, he did not have any role models within his immediate community to guide him in pursuing a juris doctorate. There was no one to show him a day in the life of an attorney and there were no lawyers in the media who looked like him, besides the infamous Johnnie Cochran; so this limited access sparked his mission to become precisely who he needed as an adolescent. Fortunately, J. Rose had a cohesive village to yield his success, including a two-parent household, loving aunts and uncles, and genuine friends. This combination of deep inspiration, a fiery mission, and holistic support was matched with his athletic aptitude to parlay a football scholarship to Hampton University. While he dominated on the field as a defensive back, he capitalized on this opportunity as a solid platform on his pathway to becoming a prominent, influential lawyer. Eventually, he became acquainted with several mentor attorneys who introduced him to subspecialties, such as entertainment and sports law. This naturally became Rose’s niche because he understood firsthand how important talent was and how far it could carry people on their journeys to achieving goals and securing prosperity.
Community Development: Being a Social Change Agent
Persevering through adversity is a major tenet that J. Rose continues to instill in himself as well as others. He emphasized that one must understand why they are doing the job to remain focused while hurdling obstacles. Having a strong support system and keeping God first, or whatever one believes in, is also integral. These principles are demonstrated in his nonprofit organization, S.A.D.E.’s Hope, which services victims of teen dating abuse, and Collective Gallery, a novelty photography label that pushes borders and supports the creatives who frame the entertainment industry.
Non-Profit
S.A.D.E.’s Hope is a 501(c)(3) in partnership with Antonia Acevedo, who was a victim of domestic violence and also lost her cousin to heinous, brutal, abusive acts. Acevedo believed and invested in J. Rose early in his career, so he paid her support forward by helping her to create a meaningful platform that was aligned with her purpose. She now has the capacity to serve others by becoming the person who she needed in the past–which is directly aligned with Lord Rose’s mission. Since Georgia is a national leader in domestic violence crimes, they addressed the critical shortage of teen dating abuse foundations and homes throughout the state. Services include help with vocational training and advancement, legal counseling, housing, emergency financial assistance, transportation, financial aid for school, and other necessary supports to help teenage and young adolescent victims who are seeking refuge.
Photography Label
Another void that J. Rose sought to fill lies within the photography industry. He and partner Cam Kirk, who Rose once managed, created Collective Gallery to provide financial assistance to advance photographers’ visions, artwork, and content to the next level. Sometimes photographers have a larger following than the subjects that they shoot and film, have the “eye” and technical skills, and also have knowledge of navigating the scenes. Collective Gallery serves various needs such as developing a blueprint and platform for securing endorsements, securing tours, hosting meet and greets, providing representation to catapult their careers, and other things to solidify prosperous brands and magnify their influences. The label takes great pride in allowing these creatives to reach their optimal potential in addition to producing talented photographers who have followings based on their actual work product, raw talent, and refined skills, as opposed to focusing on the subjects within the content, such as trending celebrities. Moreover, Collective Gallery’s mission is to “create a learning environment for aspiring photographers, giving them an opportunity to share their work, get pointers, and cultivate their dreams.” Since art is an asset that can considerably increase one’s net worth, this experience will be an avenue to wealth. By the label publishing what these visionaries have created, photographers will concurrently have influences on their audiences as well as handsomely profit. Unfortunately, photographers do not receive support and accolades the way other artists do, although they are the ones capturing and sharing these moments with the world. J. Rose emphasized, “Photographers are the biggest playmakers who are breaking and blowing up artists. Everything is digested through content. While music is important, being able to package [and then present] that is more important than anything [at present].” He and Kirk plan to invest in photographers’ dreams just as other labels do for musicians, models, and other creatives–becoming for others the people who they needed earlier in their own careers. Looking Ahead: The label has recently closed a first of its kind deal soon to be announced that J Rose and his partner believe will shift entire entertainment and music industry.
Alignment, Community Development, and Mentorship
- Rose proudly declared that he aligns himself with people who believe in the same things as him and “has the vision to shift the culture’s paradigm to be impactful,” which creates a better present as well as future. Although a freshman barrister, he has been in the legal field since 2017, working for two of the top firms in the nation. He has a powerful network of mentors and colleagues with various subspecialties that can assist in all legal matters for any client in need. J. believes that he quickly rose to success because of sheer luck; preparation met opportunity for him when esteemed attorneys at his firm, Leron Rogers (Vice Chair of the firm) and Jonathan Goins, gave him a chance to try cases. Eventually, he was entrusted with being co-counsel for prolific clients as the likes of Rick Ross. He undoubtedly rose above the challenge and in those moments, he was cementing an unstoppable conglomerate. He is proudly walking his divine path and fulfilling his God-given purpose, allowing nothing to stop him and no opportunities to be wasted while executing his mission.
Career Development
Rose unreservedly experienced an atypical career as a general legal associate. He began at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP as a 3L legal intern hoping to prove himself and secure a position after graduation. When Rogers brought Rose on the team to represent Rick Ross in a legal dispute against 50 Cent, Rose exceeded expectations when fulfilling his role as a researcher, as this case contained novel issues that had never been answered before in related proceedings. Moreover, the collective efforts resulted in a dismissal at the district court level, where 50 Cent appealed, but then the Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the ruling. During this same week that he beat his hometown hero in court (50 Cent), the young, hopeful esquire found out that he was admitted to the Georgia State Bar. Victory shifted from the horizon directly into his present reality, where he quickly experienced the load of a sixth-year, seasoned attorney during his introductory period. Elevating to a level of representing clients in high-profile cases is directly attributed to mentors Rogers and Goins allowing J., a younger associate, a chance to develop and shine in the art of litigation. Teamwork, referrals, and “God putting [them] in the right place to work with good people” streamlined this high level of success. He and his team have since secured full dismissals on contractual cases for noteworthy clients such as K. Michelle and Universal Music Group. J Rose has also closed several major deals during the pandemic, including collaborations with Sprite, BET, and NIKE. When elaborating on his process, Rose highlighted, “It’s unreal, sometimes, what we can do and how far we can dream… and we just have to go in and take chances. It just means these other dreams I have are attainable.” He has continued to live out his biggest dream across settings in life, provided platforms for others to follow suit, and couldn’t ask for more. With this adjustment comes significant lifestyle shifts such as tight time-management and balancing between doing work at the firm, client development, and community endeavors. J. Rose and Leron Rogers have also transitioned from Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP to Fox Rothschild LLP, and brought some of their prestigious clients with them. The new firm has a larger network inclusive of a wide range of clients across the globe, with a plethora of associates to work with and rise together. His community connections have multiplied tenfold, increasing from 1-2 people reaching out daily to nearly 10-20 people connecting for inspiration. “These platforms allow me the opportunities to speak to people generally and still do my duty to be of service to others, to be a leader; so I really enjoy that,” Rose candidly reflected. He thoroughly understands the importance of speaking to different people, actively listening to their dreams and inspirations, and figuring out how to be of assistance. He is currently booking speaking engagements from small groups like aspiring lawyers and artists to large crowds like universities.
Experiencing COVID-19
Although J. Rose’s clients were impacted by COVID in various ways, the pandemic increased his business. “The creative space is finding different ways to make money and, quite frankly, it’s been good for us trying to help our clients navigate through those situations to get successful results,” Rose explained when discussing how entertainment consumption has peaked. He continued regarding the pandemic, “Our clients have been doing an amazing job figuring out how to still win in the pandemic; and for those who had to get creative and had to shift and pivot, they’ve still been doing a good job with that as well. We all just have to deal with what’s going on right now and find ways to stay positive and do what we love.” The rising guru also connected with students at various law schools who wanted him to explain his course of action for inspiration, strategy, networking, and hope.
Looking Forward
Seeking wise counsel is important, and J. Rose left compelling advice, which should not go ignored, for aspiring attorneys, entertainers, and all people striving to achieve their goals. First, he underscores the importance of being intentional. Knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing and having a clear vision for your desired outcome is essential. Next, removing barriers is as simple as protecting one’s energy, keeping thoughts and actions structured, and remaining aligned with self and the vision one chooses to manifest. “Put yourself around people who are like-minded individuals who can sharpen your tools and who don’t bring that negative, toxic energy around you. [It] is very, very important to watch who you surround yourself with.” When someone is being intentional and practicing boundaries, the intention and purpose ushers in opportunity. Rose went further to encourage others to seek and claim opportunities for advancement by stating, “Find what it is that you want to do, understand that you don’t have to recreate the wheel, [and simply modify the blueprint to fit your needs]. There is someone out there, or a group of people out there, that you can merge with. Watch what they are doing, follow them closely, reach out to them.” He emphasized that an overwhelming number of people, like himself, are willing to help and reach back to pay forward what was done for them when they see talent and believe in someone. Find your tribe and build, Hip Hop United family! Being gifted and skilled beyond measure allows J. Rose to employ his talents, resources, intellect, and networks to continue being a social change agent by filling voids that allows others to heal and succeed. His motto is “Dream Big,” and he turned his massive dreams into a phenomenal reality. His brand continues to be built on these platforms with strong, genuine, and resourceful partnerships that bless various groups.
Follow Lord J. Rose on social media @LordJRose, check out and share information about S.A.D.E.’s Hope, Inc. at https://www.sadeshope.com/, and visit the website for Collective Gallery at https://www.collective-gallery.com/ to share information for upcoming sessions, camps, and courses with photographers who are ready to advance their artwork and acquire accolades. His online profile at Fox Rothschild LLP (https://www.foxrothschild.com/john-t-rose/events/) also contains his upcoming and past events–ranging from speaking engagements to brunches and clinics. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to build yourself and your community via this superlative soul’s relentless efforts.
Written by Essence Blount
“Stay positive, protect your energy, and know that all things are possible.” _John T. Rose
